how much was the prince? i have only used it once, and i think it was decent. what makes it better than the sensor?

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Retail price. I like the tensioner better. I think it is just as easy to engage as the sensor, and is equally smooth. The sensor i would actually sometimes engage by accident because it is so sensitive.

I like the base clamps much better. I Iike the side locking motion much better than the sensor's push down to lock. These clamps also slide a lot smoother for me than the sensor, and I'm seeing just about ZERO drawback with these clamps. The sensor was good, but there was more drawback on the one i was using.

Retail price. I like the tensioner better. I think it is just as easy to engage as the sensor, and is equally smooth. The sensor i would actually sometimes engage by accident because it is so sensitive.

I like the base clamps much better. I Iike the side locking motion much better than the sensor's push down to lock. These clamps also slide a lot smoother for me than the sensor, and I'm seeing just about ZERO drawback with these clamps. The sensor was good, but there was more drawback on the one i was using.

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good reasons. i wont be going for a sensor after all this insight. thanks

The Sensor has been great, the clamps are one=handed operation.
It's rounded so that nothing really gets hung up anywhere.
The tension-er is designed so that the pull is even without the use of one of those wrap around thingys.

Not as pretty as the BS5, but more solid. The clamps are awesome once you get used to it and I couldn't imagine using anything else anymore.

Awesome machine mate!!! Looks even better than it did in the other photos!

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Thanks Matty.

He also threw in stacks of other stuff, stringing journals, manuals, tennis coaching equipment, tools I've never seen before, a tool set bag full of spare grommets, vibros, prince O port stringers, spare clamps.

He also threw in stacks of other stuff, stringing journals, manuals, tennis coaching equipment, tools I've never seen before, a tool set bag full of spare grommets, vibros, prince O port stringers, spare clamps.

Have already strung up 12 rackets and its purring like a ferrari!!

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Congrats! The 5800 was my previous model machine also and it served me very well. Cheers!

He also threw in stacks of other stuff, stringing journals, manuals, tennis coaching equipment, tools I've never seen before, a tool set bag full of spare grommets, vibros, prince O port stringers, spare clamps.

Nobody else owns one of these? I may have to start the "Czech Users Group", CZUG.

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LOL Well if noone else owns one you will have to start a user a ... a ... Hummm, what do you call a group of one? Congratulations on your find I hope you find it meets all your expectations and then some.

Nobody else owns one of these? I may have to start the "Czech Users Group", CZUG.

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I got the same unit, have been using it for over 4 years now. i got mine used, previous owner used it to string the local college varsity team so it had a lot of mileage on it before I got it. The clamp will need a little tweaking every now and then to hold the string in place; having a Gamma starting clamp really help. I do use the 75 lbs luggage scale to make sure the tension is calibrated correctly; I don't trust the scale indicator on the side of the tensioner; again that's only for my unit.
So far I have no complaints on mine I have strung over 60 frames on mine.

LOL Well if noone else owns one you will have to start a user a ... a ... Hummm, what do you call a group of one? Congratulations on your find I hope you find it meets all your expectations and then some.

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Correct that, we have a group. Maybe you should start a lockout group there are a lot of lockout users out there.

I got the same unit, have been using it for over 4 years now. i got mine used, previous owner used it to string the local college varsity team so it had a lot of mileage on it before I got it. The clamp will need a little tweaking every now and then to hold the string in place; having a Gamma starting clamp really help. I do use the 75 lbs luggage scale to make sure the tension is calibrated correctly; I don't trust the scale indicator on the side of the tensioner; again that's only for my unit.
So far I have no complaints on mine I have strung over 60 frames on mine.

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Yes, I use the Gamma starting clamp all the time. I've calibrated and adjusted the string gripper and single action clamps and the seller included a Gamma tension scale, so I have been able to keep that all good. Most of my "stringing" time is spent making sure the conical yellow supports are the correct height and adjusting the 6-point mounting. I cannot envision stringing as a business with this extra time that is required. Once I am happy with the mounting, stringing goes well and quickly. So, overall I enjoy using the machine for my personal stringing. Always listening though for modifications and improvements that I can make.

I like the photo of your 35 year old BR-3!! It looks like it is still in great condition. I think mine is rusting away somewhere in my parent's basement.

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Worked accurately for those many years. Learned to use the neoprene from mousepads for wrapping around the rotational string gripper drum and also for the 2pt mounting surfaces.

I began to notice that racquets would sometimes compress their heads after stringing (usually at 57lbs with multi) and I started to blame the 2pt mounting. Then when I started using the Czech and the 6pt mount I saw that the same thing could happen with the Head MP frames I was stringing. Now I think it was more a fault of the frames than anything else. Going forward I string a 57lb stringbed by stringing 56lbs for the mains and 58lbs for the crosses. My testing shows that I get the 57lb overall tension that I am looking for without any frame distortion.

Way back when, this machine was used constantly stringing my Bancroft Borgs at 85lbs. Never an issue.

Worked accurately for those many years. Learned to use the neoprene from mousepads for wrapping around the rotational string gripper drum and also for the 2pt mounting surfaces.

I began to notice that racquets would sometimes compress their heads after stringing (usually at 57lbs with multi) and I started to blame the 2pt mounting. Then when I started using the Czech and the 6pt mount I saw that the same thing could happen with the Head MP frames I was stringing. Now I think it was more a fault of the frames than anything else. Going forward I string a 57lb stringbed by stringing 56lbs for the mains and 58lbs for the crosses. My testing shows that I get the 57lb overall tension that I am looking for without any frame distortion.

Way back when, this machine was used constantly stringing my Bancroft Borgs at 85lbs. Never an issue.

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You may want to try the Stringway Tension Advisor to reach your desired tension without deforming the racket. I have heard that many have good luck with it.

Bought a backup machine in case my electronic one fails or we have a power outage. Good deal on this one too, and nice to string on. Calibrated and cleaned it up although still a little rust here and there

That is the same as my Flex 940, except for the clamps. It is amazing how many variations there are on the same machine. My Contracts professor would have called it "a distinction without a difference."

Agree that the Babolat 3 Star has "V" mounts but these don't appear to be those. To fit the machine in the photo and my Czech, they would have metal posts around 1/2" diameter that plug into the shoulders. The photos I have seen of the 3 Stars show their mounts as more integrated.

Agree that the Babolat 3 Star has "V" mounts but these don't appear to be those. To fit the machine in the photo and my Czech, they would have metal posts around 1/2" diameter that plug into the shoulders. The photos I have seen of the 3 Stars show their mounts as more integrated.

Yeah I couldn't believe the condition it was in when I saw the pictures and the previous owner said it only had 200-300 racquets strung on it. If you message me I'll tell you what I paid for it I also got about ~100 sets of string and some tools with it too which was nice.